Robert M. Pirsig Archives.
In addition to published resources, several institutions curate physical archive collections of Pirsig-related materials. These include:
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Harvard holds Robert Pirsig’s own archive donated by his widow Wendy and curated by the Houghton Library with their collection of William James and other modern US writers. This is the most comprehensive collection of Pirsig documentation, indexed here in their Hollis online archive system. (In response to multiple enquiries, we can confirm this archive includes the boxes of 3 by 5 inch index card slips that were used by Pirsig to organise his thinking about the content of both ZMM & Lila).
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington DC
The Smithsonian holds Robert Pirsig’s original Honda CB77 305cc Superhawk motorcycle as Bob had restored, as well as artefacts, tools and related archive materials associated with both Bob’s motorcycling and sailing activities, all donated by his widow Wendy.
Montana State University, Bozeman MT
The Archives and Special Collections of the MSU Renne Library includes a guide to their Robert Pirsig collection, which includes the Dr Anthony McWatt PhD archive of correspondence with Robert Pirsig.
[The McWatt collection is described here and Pirsig’s copies of the same correspondence are held in the Harvard collection also described on this page. MSU Archives also has Pirsig’s spring 1960 student grading book while an English instructor, a 1961 letter in which he first detailed his classroom work using the concept of quality, a Montana map carried on the 1968 motorcycle journey, artworks by Robert and Gennie DeWeese that Pirsig owned, Pirsig’s leather briefcase with a 1960 photo, his slide rule and mechanical calculator, and books from his personal library. An extensive DeWeese collection is also in the MSU library archives. Other MSU grade books and letters related to Pirsig teaching there are in the Harvard collection. MSU also holds records of Pirsig’s time teaching at that institution, previously researched and written about by Swedish journalist Sven Lindqvist and some examples are documented by Prof Henry Gurr on his “VetureArete” web pages.]
The Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman MT
The Museum of the Rockies holds the 18-inch metal-working lathe mentioned in ZMM, mounted on a workbench built by Pirsig. The museum also has a set of Pirsig’s taps and dies and other workshop tools and artefacts associated either with the book or his life teaching in Montana.
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